How Many Of You Are Undetectable?

[TigerMilner]

I just read this articel from Body.com, which I find very interesting. It says 75% of positive guys on treatment have not reached undetectable viral loads. I find this shockingly high. Maybe I didn't realize that it was so elusive. I was undetectable from a viral load of around 100,000 within 30 days of beginning treatment. I was on Complera and Issentriss. I understand Issentriss is known for knocking down the viral load quickly. I was only on it til I hit undetectable and have maintained that with just Complera ever since. I recently switched to Stribild and have still remained undetectable. Not being infectious has been very important to me. It is also good for my long term health.

I wonder how many of the guys on here are Undetectable?  And how many of you have had no success in knocking out the viral load?

 

http://www.thebody.com/content/71218/getting-to-undetectable-people-living-with-hiv-sha.html?ap=818

Edited August 12, 2015 by TigerMilner

[fillmyholeftl]

Undetectable since 4 months after diagnosis/on meds.  I too find the statistics hard to believe.  Everyone ( ok 99.8%) of guys I come into contact with, in treatment are undetectable.

[wood]

Undetectable since 4 months after diagnosis/on meds.  I too find the statistics hard to believe.  Everyone ( ok 99.8%) of guys I come into contact with, in treatment are undetectable.

I think it comes down to statisitical analysis of testing results, and the number of people that are on treatment.  So in effect if there are stats saying 4 people got infected, and only one comes back for treatment, the other 3 are most likely detectable.  This make sense considering VERY few people control HIV on their own for any long period of time.   I have a friend who is HIV+ not on meds with a viral load of about 2000.  Not high, and not even that infectious, but not undetectable by any definition.  

[Pozbtm4breeding]

Tested positive in Oct 2008, started on Atripla in Sept 2009 and was undetectable at my Dec 2009 check up. Stayed on Atripla until early this year and switched to Triumeq and have maintained undetectable status since. I do find these stats puzzling as most of the guys I speak with that are on meds are undetectable.

[BearOKC69_Poz]

same story here...according to my doc, not only was I Poz but my VL was so high, I had AIDS (iirc, 2 millipn+) started bactrum, Isentress & Atripla immediately and within 3 months was undetectable (4 years now) with each blood test VL lower than the time before and other good numbers higher). Thats even with them lowering what undetectable was.

 

Been off bactrum for about a year now

 

only recently met 1 guy that isnt undetectable (but was) and thats because he went off his meds a few months ago. The others that are toxic poz arent on meds either. Everyone that I know that is undetectable is on meds

[Theo8]

Tested positive in Oct 2008, started on Atripla in Sept 2009 and was undetectable at my Dec 2009 check up. Stayed on Atripla until early this year and switched to Triumeq and have maintained undetectable status since. I do find these stats puzzling as most of the guys I speak with that are on meds are undetectable.

I was just taken off Triumeq because of liver problems.  It jacked my enzyme levels.  I'm going back on Atripla if I have anything to say about it.

[Guest PigTonight]

took me 3 months on meds to get undetectable and staying there

[Guest Porthos]

Diagnosed June 2008, Vl 47,000, CD4 511, started Atripla immediately, undetectable by September, 100% adherent have been consistently undetectable every check up....CD4 over 1000.

I believe there is an issue with adherence with a certain percentage of poz guys...indigent, drug addicts, poor....I'm lucky. I'm educated, informed, great insurance and great docs. I go to the immuno clinic at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo and I do believe that there is a certain percentage of patients that are not adherent to their meds for a whole host of reasons....This leads to resistance and increased viral load....The partners I tend to associate eith who are poz are diligent in taking their meds and remain undetectable.

[hungry_hole]

I believe there is an issue with adherence with a certain percentage of poz guys...indigent, drug addicts, poor....

I'm assuming that when someone skips a few days of medication and then restarts a few days later that he may not be undetectable for a few days. During this time he can then infect a sexual partner but by the time he retakes the tests his VL is again undetectable. Would that be possible?

[fillmyholeftl]

I'm assuming that when someone skips a few days of medication and then restarts a few days later that he may not be undetectable for a few days. During this time he can then infect a sexual partner but by the time he retakes the tests his VL is again undetectable. Would that be possible?

It takes more than a few days for the VL to increase to a "infective" level.  So theoretically, missing lets say 3 days of meds & then restarting, would not have enough of an effect to make that person INFECTIVE.  But, missing doeses, repeatedly, could result in a resistance problem, which in turn would have more of an effect on VL... My "advice",  don't do either.

[gayav8or]

I've been on and off meds for 18 years partly because of the fucked up medical system we have in this country. P.S. Veteran here and its still fucked up..My VL has gone all over the place. Complera has kept me stable at un detectable for quite a long time. Undetectable and getting treatment is the new "safe sex". The reality is that someone getting regular treatment from a doctor is waaaay safer than some asshole who claims to be "neg" on some stupid Internet hookup site. Plus getting tested for a bunch of other STDs every 3 months.

The ONLY benefit that I see to being "poz" is that bareback sex is implied. I LOVE bareback sex! It's the most intimate thing that we can do to each other!!!

I have sailed into the harbor of being rejected by un educated assholes who treated me like I was a leper. fuck those guys...The deepest pit in hell will not even compare to what they will face when they become a "member of the club".

For you guys who are are chasing....be careful of what you wish for!! I will fuck a neg guy and cum deep inside your butt hole, and I don't give a fuck if the the get "the gift" or not (probably not cuz I'm UD).

It's fun to fantasize about it and it is certainly is the ultimate commitment to get "pozzed" ...and sure you belong to the club.....but this club has few benefits.

Once again Tiger you have posed an interesting and compelling question. I admire how you juxtapose the world between fantasy and where the "real world" comes crashing in.

Devoted fan, M

[tboyer]

I've been undetectable from 2005 when I started medication

[PhilUrass]

I'm not seeing that statistic in the article you linked, just "70 percent of people living with HIV in the U.S. have not reached the point of viral suppression.", probably because the vast majority aren't on tratement or aren't adhering properly.

[breederboy]

I've been poz for about 10 years now. I probably got it around 2004. I didn't know I had it, & I didn't have any symptoms until about 3 years later when I sero-converted, which was not fun at all. I was diagnosed in 2009. My very first labs, my cd4 was 294, and my viral load was around 40,000. It had probably been higher than that earlier on, before I started taking better care of myself. But thankfully I caught it in time.

 

I started treatment a few months after diagnosis, was put on Atripla. It worked really well and very fast. Within about 3 months, I was undetectable & started putting on weight for the first time in years. I got healthy again. I stayed on Atripla until a few weeks ago, when I had to drop it because it had been causing some sleep problems & anxiety issues. I am now on Stribild, which is working really well so far. Some of these meds can cause cholesterol problems and last labs mine was a little high and I'm not remotely overweight it's something to do with metabolism and the meds, but not a big deal. I credit the meds for keeping me undetectable and healthy. I never get sick not even common colds! And before I started meds I was sick all the time every little thing got me. I have been undetectable since 2010. So yea I'm happy with things as they are. 

Edited November 27, 2015 by breederboy

[Jversbttm]

I was recently diagnosed in the first week of Nov '15. I've been hooking up regularly since I was 20 (24 now). Once or twice a month on average. Not always bottoming, Not always bb, But mostly started bottoming last summer tho.

In August I got gono in my butt so nov I was was due for a follow up but in August I asked my doc about prep. She said she doesn't really work with prep she'll see. In sept I fool around with 3 guys who cum in me. I feel regret. Remorse. Ect. So I plan to stop hooking up. Oct rolls around and I'm dealing with life as normal. No sex tho, promised myself I wouldn't for whatever reason. I get a phone call from a different doc saying I got an appointment to get on prep. Cool. Maybe my non-sluttyness is paying off.

Shortening my story, I get diagnosed not long after my appointment. Emotionally it's been a battle anyway so when I go for my med appointment and see the doc again they tell me they caught it early. First time I got blood drawn I was at 560k vL. Not sure cd4. Second time(day I was diagnosed) 440k and 280cd4. I'm on trimeq (spelling?) pill. My doc says she estimates InJan when I go for my 6-8 week I'll be down to 440 vL, 3 decimals shorter (I'm aiming for undetectable)

Now do you think I'm correct in assuming that my poz lifestyle would pretty much be the same as my prep lifestyle except if I don't take my meds everyday my vL will begging to rise and slowly kill me?